I want to start by thanking our generous neighbors in Jersey City from the TongYan School, who raised funds from the local Chinese community to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) for our medical professionals. I very much appreciate the school administrators and volunteers for coordinating with our Hoboken Community Emergency Response Team to donate over 500 N95 masks for the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the Hoboken University Medical Center. Every donation of PPE for those on our front lines goes a long way.

Impact of COVID-19 in Hoboken

The Hoboken Health Department has reported another 10 confirmed cases yesterday of COVID-19 in Hoboken, for a total of 346 in Hoboken. One of the confirmed cases is an officer in the Hoboken Police Department, who has been in self-quarantine, has not been working since April 5, and has not had extended contact with other members of the department for the past 10 days. I wish the officer and all those with COVID-19 in Hoboken a speedy recovery.

Riverside Medical to begin rapid COVID-19 testing in Hoboken

I’m very glad to share that Riverside Medical, led by Dr. Gaurang Brahmbhatt, will begin utilizing rapid testing at the Hoboken COVID-19 testing site, beginning Friday. Those receiving a COVID-19 test will now receive their results in 15 minutes, thanks to new testing kits obtained and utilized by Riverside Medical through Abbott Laboratories. The Riverside facility, which is open to symptomatic Hoboken residents, is one of the first public testing sites in the region to utilize rapid, on site testing. Members of the Hoboken Police and Fire Departments are receiving COVID-19 tests through the new tests today, with a larger supply of rapid testing available to the public on Friday.

These new, rapid tests are a game-changer for Hoboken, as those tested will have less uncertainty regarding their own health, ensure our first responders aren’t out of work while waiting for results, and will allow for more efficient investigations into close contacts and recommendations of self-quarantine from the Health Department. I’m very grateful to Riverside for providing this this critical testing for the Hoboken public, and to Dr. Brahmbhatt and his team for their continued service to our residents.

The process for receiving tests for symptomatic Hoboken residents remains the same, please call 201-420-5621 to schedule a test through our City Hall hotline, Monday through Saturday from 9 am until 5 pm. If your insurance does not cover it, the City will pay for the cost.

Overall, Riverside has tested 203 Hoboken residents for COVID-19, with 58 positive results, 115 negative, and 30 pending.

Checking results for those who received prior testing through Riverside testing site

While the rapid testing for Hoboken residents begins Friday, those Hoboken residents who have received the existing COVID-19 tests through Riverside may be experiencing a delay in receiving results. The current tests must be processed at a private laboratory off-site in Elmwood Park through BioReference Lab. For those residents currently waiting for results, you can access them once available through the online portal on BioReference’s website. Visit https://bioreference.com/patient-portal and click on “test results”. Create a free account with your information, and you can view your results as soon as they’re posted.

Donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

I’m appreciative to everyone who has donated PPE to our medical professionals and first responders. Many have reached out to me about various companies or organizations selling PPE and if the City is interested in purchasing it. Even if PPE is sold at a discounted rate, the City is not in a position to purchase the equipment. We are only accepting donations at this time, which can be dropped off at City Hall (94 Washington Street, Newark Street entrance) in the basement conference room with our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Girl Scout face mask project

Our Office of Constituent Affairs is partnering with Hoboken Girl Scout Troop 12022 to hold a fabric mask drive for individuals experiencing homelessness in Hoboken. If you are interested in sewing masks for this project, please make sure you label your package “GIRL SCOUTS” and drop it off at the Hoboken CERT Headquarters, located at Hoboken City Hall (94 Washington Street, Newark Street entrance). These masks will be brought to the Hoboken Shelter. Thank you to the Girl Scouts and Caroline Caulfield for compassionately assisting our homeless population.

Storytime with the Hoboken Police Department

I’m happy to share that the Hoboken Police Department has launched a new virtual program, called “Storytime with the Police” to virtually read books to children! Every Monday and Wednesday, officers from the police department will read a different children’s book which will be posted on social media on twitter (@HobokenPD); I’ll also post the videos on my Facebook page as well (facebook.com/RaviBhallaHoboken) which can be viewed anytime. This is a great initiative to help provide some assistance to parents and further engage our children in the fun of reading, and I thank Lt. Melissa Gigante, Officer Justin DePascale, and Chief Ken Ferrante for creating this program. Officer Jonathan Lynos read the first book today, “Arrow to the Sun” by Gerald McDermott, which is now posted on social media.

Face cover tips

With face covers required at all times in essential businesses and strongly urged at all times outdoors, a friendly reminder that face covers or masks should be periodically washed to disinfect them. Additional tips for face covers, to ensure maximum effectiveness, is to have the face cover fit comfortably but not too loose, washing hands or using sanitizer before putting the face cover on or taking it off, and to not to touch the face cover when wearing it to prevent contamination.

Assistance for businesses with federal grants

If you’re a small business owner, the New Jersey Economic Development authority (NJEDA) is now partnering with various organizations to provide assistance to businesses applying for federal funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), including the Payroll Protection Program. The African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ, New Jersey State Veterans Chamber of Commerce, Rising Tide Capital and Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ are all authorized to help prepare financial information, application documentation, and submit the application itself for business owners. For more information on this, and other business resources offered through the State, please visit https://faq.business.nj.gov.

Additionally, the Hudson County Economic Development Corporation is hosting a “COVID-19 Programs for Business” webinar through WebEx to help advise what may be available and how to apply for federal, state and local funding. The webinar will take place on Friday, April 17 with registration required at https://t.co/ZtH0927WK8.

NJ Transit Records Building meeting

As a reminder Hoboken is co-hosting a virtual public meeting through WebEx with New Jersey Transit regarding the future of the NJ Transit Records Building today at 5:00 pm. We have been working diligently to examine options other than demolishing this historic building, and hope you can tune in. For instructions on how to tune into the meeting, please visit www.hobokennj.gov/resources/lackawanna-records-building.

Senior meal delivery

While we are delivering meals directly to seniors in senior buildings over the next week and a half, if you’re a senior who is not in a senior building and would like food delivered to you, please call the Hoboken Food Pantry at 551-285-6555 or email hobokenfoodnow@gmail.com. Help is also available for any resident of any age with food insecurities through this phone number and email.

Thank you, Hoboken, and as always, the best way to stay safe is to stay indoors.

Sincerely,

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla